2010 Photobook

One more thing I can check off the ol' list. Each year, Josh and I have been compiling our favorite photographs of the year into books. Our First one from 2007 was a collection from the wedding. 2008 and 2009 were mostly California adventures and this last year was a lot of house projects.

We have tons of pictures but we narrow them down to fit in about 30 pages, and everything gets labeled. It's nice to flip through and see some of the highlights from each year.

Items listed...

I got one more small thing crossed off my list! I just finished posting all my miscellaneous items on eBay including a lock and knob that I ordered for the side door before changing my mind on the finish, and a harness for Lucy that ended up not fitting. Here's hoping they sell so I can recoup my cash!

Top 10 of 2010

Last year you may remember we posted our favorite songs of the year here. We decided to do that again this year.

Big Boi/Shutterbug
Broken Bells/The High Road
Delta Spirit/Bushwick Blues
Janelle Monae f. Big Boi/Tightrope
LCD Soundsystem/Dance Yrself Clean
Lissie/In Sleep
Local Natives/Airplanes
Mumford & Sons/The Cave
The Black Keys/Tighten Up
Trampled by Turtles/Victory

iTunes has extended the preview time for songs from 30 seconds to a minute and a half so you can actually hear what the song sounds like. Check these out, and let us know what you think!

Moving Christmas 2010

Moving Christmas 2010 from jvtubbs on Vimeo.

Busy.

With my U-Guide deadlines quickly approaching and Josh studying for his GMAT test, we haven't had tons of time to post but here are a couple things we've been working on...

The new entry light

and some thrifted frames.

The light we hung last Saturday during the blizzard because we were too excited to leave it in the box another day. The frames I purchased a while ago from the ARC Thrift Store for $1-3 each. Some of them had some interesting things in them, but I was only looking at the frame. I sprayed them all glossy black, and will eventually hang them in the stairway/hall upstairs.

Looking like Christmas...

Wish we had ice skates...

for our car. Last night we met Andy and Tine for dinner in St. Paul., and when we left at 10:45 it had already started raining and the roads were slick. We finally made it home by 1am!

Early in the trip we took 94 where we hit top speeds of 10mph before coming up on an accident that stopped us. It was at the top of a crest in the road, and after stopping on the hill, it was nearly impossible to get up it. We idled, with tires spinning, gaining speed and were one of the last cars to make it to the top. We got off the freeway and then navigated home on city streets through St. Paul, taking a bathroom break at Davanni's near St. Thomas.

The roads in Minneapolis were significantly better, so we were able to get up to 15mph. Our last obstacle was a small hill on the newly paved 50th street, a few blocks east of our house, that was closed off. I'm sure others were having the same trouble getting up it, so we jogged over the 49th to get all the way home.

My New Job

This week, I started working full time again. I was hired at Cetacea Sound Corp./Marion Zoological in Plymouth and so far I'm liking it. The one thing I hate about new jobs is the learning curve. Even setting up your computer to the preferences you like can make a difference, but I think I'm catching on. I can't wait to learn more about the companies and start making a difference.

I'm Golden.

Yesterday for my birthday, I requested Josh plan a fun activity for us, so we went to the Walker Art Center. Neither of us had been (I've always been embarrassed to tell other designers this) so it was a new adventure for us. We didn't have time though for the Sculpture Garden, so that will have to be another time!

Hello Sirin!

Tonight, we all got to meet Sirin for the first time! Ryan and Christine brought her over, and Sirin and Lucy got to play in the yard together. Sirin is such a sweetheart!

 This is the girls playing "Lady and the Tramp" with the stick! So cute!

Relay for Life

Friday night and into Saturday morning Josh and I participated in our first Relay for Life at the Fairgrounds in Albert Lea. As a team of 14 or 15, we spent the night walking in shifts.

Since Friday's forecast included a chance for rain, all the luminaries were set up in one of the barns and the effect was very powerful. You can see them completely lighting up the barn, and it made it quite warm in there too. They were glowing all night long.

I hope we have a chance to participate again!

3 Years.

Since moving into our house, life has been pretty crazy. For our anniversary on Tuesday, I celebrated by heading over to the DMV to get my Minnesota Driver's license and plates. Then when Josh was home from work we worked in the kitchen. I'm not complaining or anything, because Josh and I rarely exchange any gifts. We just try to do something fun with each other. Working in the kitchen together was our present!

Since everything has been so crazy, we're having a hard time keeping up with posting, so everything will be a little delayed. You can see above, the floors have been refinished, and I painted the cabinets. Friday, our new appliances were delivered, and Josh took down the tile back splash. Saturday, my Mom, Dad and Shelby came up to help out. Dad and Josh installed the dishwasher and put on the new oak counter top with our new sink and faucet. I don't have the pictures off my camera yet for the latest changes, but we'll post again with more updates soon!

Happy Independence Day!

Even More Art Buddies

You may remember in May when I posted about Art Buddies. After the spring session was over that I participated in, the leaders of the program asked me if I would be interested in joining the Advisory Board. Of course I said YES! I love Art Buddies and I look forward to it every session, hoping I will be available to participate. We had our first meeting last night. I'll be helping with fund-raising and I've also agreed to take on the task of editing and labeling all the photos from the professional photographer after each session.

We're Closing!

Tomorrow we're closing on our first home! Janelle and I have been waiting for this day for a really long time. The picture above is from the first time I looked at the house at the end of January. We've been waiting for short sale approval since the first week of February and everything finally went through this week.

Stay tuned as a house warming party will be coming soon!

Target Field

Last night I attended my first Twins game at the new Target Field. I went with my coworkers and got to sit in the General Mills suite. The Twins came back from a 7 run deficit to almost win the game. The highlight of the night was Joe Mauer's foul pop up catch where he had to reach around the backstop netting to make the catch. It was a lot of fun checking out the ballpark and watching a close game.

Not Closing This Friday

Unfortunately, we will miss our second scheduled closing date. We're very optimistic about hearing good news soon though. This Saturday the seller has scheduled a painter to repair the peeling paint on the exterior, so after the 2nd lien holder approves, we should be well on our way to closing. Still waiting...

The Waiting Game...Still Waiting

We have good news. Our offer was accepted by the sellers bank!!! That is, on the first lien. There is a second lien of about $10,000, that we are now waiting for. It's being processed now, and Masami (our Realtor) said this one should go much more quickly. After both have been approved, the seller will make the repairs to the peeling paint on the exterior trim. As of right now, we are still on track to close on May 14th or before, but nothing is final yet. So we wait...

Taking a Break.

Since our Road Trip, Josh and (mostly) I have taken a little break from blogging. Not much to report I guess these days, but we are going to keep the blog going. Eventually, we'll have house related items to post, and we are going to try to keep doing fun adventures and exploring our home state. Stay tuned...

Goodbye California

Tonight, we are spending our last night in California. We've had such a great experience. Here are the top 5 things we'll miss:

FIVE
Exciting new adventures.

FOUR
The ocean.

THREE
Year-round golfing.

TWO
San Francisco.

ONE
All of our friends and co-workers.